1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fishing reels of the type having an oscillating assembly which reciprocates as line is being retrieved to cause the line to be distributed evenly over the spool.
2. Background Art
Geared oscillating assemblies in fishing reels have been used and, of late, improved, so that retrieved line is distributed quite evenly over a spool. An exemplary system is shown in FIG. 6 herein on a spinning-type fishing reel at 10. The reel 10 has a frame 12 on which an operating mechanism at 14 is mounted.
The operating mechanism 14 consists of a rotor assembly 16 with a rotor body 18 having a base portion 20 and diametrically oppositely located ears 22, 24 projecting forwardly from the base portion 20.
The rotor body 18 supports a bail assembly at 26. The bail assembly 26 consists of bail arms 28, 30, mounted one each to the rotor ears 22, 24, for pivoting about an axis 32. A bail wire 34 connects fixedly between the bail arms 28, 30 so that the bail arms 28, 30 and bail wire 34 move as one piece around the axis 32. A line guide 36 is mounted at the juncture between one end 38 of the bail wire 34 and the bail arm 28.
Rotation of the rotor assembly 16 around a fore and aft axis 40 is imparted by an external crank handle 42. The crank handle 42 drives a face gear 44 around an axis 45 that is orthogonal to the axis 40. The face gear 44 in turn drives a pinion gear 46 on a shaft 48 that is fixed to the base portion 20 of the rotor body 18.
A shaft 50, which carries the face gear 44, also carries a concentric gear 52, which is in mesh with an oscillation gear 54 on an oscillating assembly 56 that is part of the operating mechanism 14. The oscillation gear 54 is mounted to the frame 12 for rotation around an axis 58 that is parallel to the axis 45 of the face gear 44. The oscillation gear 54 has a laterally projecting pin 60 which is offset from the axis 58 and cooperates with a slotted follower 62. The follower 62 is fixed to a shaft 64, which is slidably received within the shaft 48 and connects at its forward region to a line carrying spool 66. The follower 62, shaft 64, and spool 66 move as a unit in the fore and aft direction along the axis 40.
The follower 62 has a rectangular body 68 with an elongate slot 70 therein extending over the majority of its vertical extent. The slot 70 receives the pin 60 and is dimensioned so that the pin 60 is guidingly movable smoothly, without interference, along the length thereof.
In operation, as the crank handle 42 is advanced by a user in the direction of the arrow 72, the gear 52 is driven in the direction of the arrow 74 around the axis 45. This in turn causes the oscillation gear 54, in mesh therewith, to be driven around the axis 58 in the direction of the arrow 76. As this occurs, the pin 60 on the oscillation gear 54 bears on a vertical straight edge 78 bounding the slot 70 to drive the follower 62, and the shaft 64 fixed thereto, rearwardly, i.e, to the left in FIG. 6, along the axis 40. The pin 60 slides vertically downwardly in the slot 70 as the crank handle 42 is operated progressively until realizing the position shown at A. Continued rotation of the gear 54 in the direction of the arrow 76, with the pin 60 in the A position, causes the pin 60 to bear on the opposite vertical edge 80 bounding the slot 70. The pin 60 moves progressively downwardly in the slot 70 to the position shown at B. In transition from the A position to the B position, the pin 60 drives the follower 62 and shaft 64 forwardly. Continued rotation causes the pin 60 to bear forwardly on the edge 80 as it moves upwardly from the B position to the C position, at which point the pin 60 bears again against the edge 78 to move the follower 62 and shaft 64 rearwardly until the pin 60 again reaches the A position. Continuous rotation of the crank handle 42 causes the repetitive, reciprocating movement of the follower 62, shaft 64, and spool 66. The distance between the A and C positions represents the "stroke length" for the follower 62, shaft 64, and spool 66.
At the same time as this oscillation is occurring, the face gear 44, through the pinon gear 46, is driving the rotor assembly 16 in rotation around the axis 40. As this occurs, the bail assembly 26 causes line to be wrapped around the reciprocating spool 66.
In the event that it is desirable to increase the stroke length for the follower 62, shaft 64, and spool 66, the diameter of the gear 54 must be increased, as must the length of the follower 62 and slot 70. By doing so, the lengthwise and vertical dimensions of the reel 10 necessarily increase, which is undesirable.